We typically enjoy our “men of God” bland. Preferably, they stand with Bible in hand, wear either a suit or jeans and fashionable plaid shirt, clearly explain easily digestible Scripture (New Testament, please) and apply it directly to our everyday lives. But how would you feel if God sent someone into your midst that truly spoke Truth with a wild-eyed, unorthodox, bordering-on-madness method? That’s where we find Ezekiel.
Read: Ezekiel 4:1-17
Imagine if your pastor lay on his side every day for over one year, playing with action figures and cooking his gruel with poo poo. (How long do you think that guy would keep his pulpit?) Sure, Ezekiel didn’t necessarily lie on one side 24/7/390 + 24/7/40, but it is pretty clear he had “office hours” for his outrageous object lesson. Unfortunately, people ignored this and Ezekiel’s other radical object lessons like shaving his head and beard (Ezekiel 5:1-4), digging through his wall (Ezekiel 12:1-7) and remaining mute for two years (Ezekiel 24:25-27). Obviously, God asked His prophet to pull these stunts for a reason.
Apply:
We must obey God even when it appears utterly insane. I can’t begin to imagine how Ezekiel felt during his side-laying cow-dung-cooking days. People undoubtedly questioned his sanity, mocked him incessantly and ignored his God-given message. I would’ve wanted to jump up and shout, “This wasn’t my idea! God is making me do this because YOU won’t obey!” But we must humbly pursue obedience, not our comfort, perception or even reputation.
God will go to great lengths to get our attention. God proves His love, patience and passion for His people by commissioning Ezekiel to speak out. All throughout Scripture, He is willing to use the miraculous to get us back on track – even going so far as to send His only Son incarnate as a sacrifice.
We should prayerfully consider other people, even when they appear shocking or flat-out crazy. It takes me less than a millisecond to forever lock someone in the nut job box. But my own criteria would have immediately dismissed the prophets (both minor and major), Moses (burning bush? Really?) and potentially even Jesus. (People claiming to be God do not pass GO on the way to the mental facility.) If you’re anything like me, we run the risk of not hearing God speak .
DISCUSSION Questions:
Read Ezekiel 4:1-17 out loud.
What did Ezekiel feel when he got this command?
Why would God ask him to do something that made him look crazy?
Is it possible for a person to discern when someone else is really hearing from God? Why or why not?
Does God still ask people to do crazy things? Why or why not?
How would your daily life and the people around you be impacted if God asked you to copy Ezekiel?